Rhys Ifans
Rhys Ifans is a Welsh actor, producer and musician. He is known for his portrayal of characters such as Spike in Notting Hill, Jed Parry in Enduring Love, Eyeball Paul in Kevin & Perry Go Large and Dr. Curt Connors / The Lizard in The Amazing Spider-Man. Ifans also appeared as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1.
Ifans had a recurring role as Mycroft Holmes in the CBS series Elementary. As of autumn 2016, he played Hector DeJean on the U.S. pay-cable Epix network's CIA espionage thriller Berlin Station for three seasons. He is a member of the rock group The Peth and a former member of the Super Furry Animals.
Early life
Ifans was born on 22 July 1967 in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales. He is the son of Beti-Wyn, a nursery school teacher, and Eurwyn Evans, a primary school teacher, and the brother of the actor Llŷr Ifans. Their first language is Welsh. Ifans grew up in Ruthin, Denbighshire, and received his primary education at Ysgol Pentrecelyn. He attended Ysgol Maes Garmon, a Welsh medium secondary school in Mold, Flintshire, where he sat his O levels and A levels. He attended acting classes at Theatr Clwyd.After leaving school Ifans presented Welsh-language television programmes on S4C.
Ifans studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he graduated in 1997.
Career
Stage
Early stage work by Ifans included Hamlet at Theatr Clwyd, A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Regent's Park Theatre, and Under Milk Wood and Volpone at the National Theatre. He appeared at the Donmar Warehouse in 2003's Accidental Death of an Anarchist. In 2006 he returned to the London stage in Michael Grandage's production of Don Juan in Soho at the Donmar Warehouse. In 2016, Ifans played Fool alongside Glenda Jackson in Deborah Warner's production of King Lear, at The Old Vic. He returned to The Old Vic to play Ebenezer Scrooge in Matthew Warchus' production of A Christmas Carol in 2017 and in 2018 returned to the National Theatre to play King Berenger in Patrick Marber's new adaptation of Eugene Ionesco's Exit the King.Television
Ifans appeared in many Welsh-language television programmes before embarking on his film career, including the comedy show , as well as performing at the National Theatre, London and the Royal Exchange, Manchester. In 1990, he presented Sdwnsh, an anarchic children's quiz programme. A total of 31 fifteen-minute programmes were broadcast on Welsh-language TV channel S4C.He narrated the children's animated series Sali Mali for S4C in 2000.
In 2008, he appeared in "Six Days One June", one of three episodes of the TV series The Last Word Monologues, written by Hugo Blick and broadcast on BBC Two. He played a lonely Welsh farmer trying to free himself from a domineering mother.
In 2016 and 2017 Ifans portrayed hard-nosed American CIA case officer Hector DeJean in the U.S. pay-cable Epix network espionage thriller drama series Berlin Station, which was filmed on location in Berlin.
Feature films
Following his role as Jeremy Lewis in the Swansea-based movie Twin Town, Ifans gained international exposure in his role as the slovenly housemate Spike in the British film Notting Hill. Reportedly, in preparation for the role, Ifans did not wash himself or brush his teeth. He played Adrian, the pompous eldest brother in Little Nicky. Other film roles include: Eyeball Paul in Kevin & Perry Go Large, Nigel in The Replacements, Iki in The 51st State, William Dobbin in Vanity Fair, and Vladis Grutas in Hannibal Rising. He played Jed Parry in the film version of Ian McEwan's Enduring Love, and the lead role in Danny Deckchair as Danny Morgan.Ifans revealed in March 2009 that he was to appear in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1. He played Xenophillius Lovegood, editor of the wizarding magazine The Quibbler and father of the eccentric Luna Lovegood. In the same interview, he announced that he would play the title role in the film Mr. Nice, based on the life of the drug smuggler Howard Marks. He played Nemo Nobody's father in Mr. Nobody. He played a villain in Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang.
On 11 October 2010, the Associated Press confirmed that Ifans would portray the villain in the Spider-Man reboot film The Amazing Spider-Man. The villain was revealed as the Lizard a few days later, and the film was released in July 2012. In 2015, Ifans starred in She's Funny That Way, directed by Peter Bogdanovich.
Music videos and as musician
He was briefly lead vocalist of the rock band Super Furry Animals before they released any records.In 2005, Ifans made a guest appearance for the rock band Oasis in the video for their single "The Importance of Being Idle", for which he accepted their award for Video of the Year at the 2006 NME Awards. He has also appeared in the music videos for "God! Show Me Magic" and "Hometown Unicorn" by Super Furry Animals, "Mulder and Scully" by Catatonia, and "Mama Told Me Not to Come" by Tom Jones with Stereophonics.
Since 2007, Ifans has sung with the psychedelic rock band The Peth, featuring Super Furry Animals' Dafydd Ieuan, which played a number of concert dates in south Wales and in London in the autumn of 2008. In 2009 the band supported Oasis at a concert in the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
Other pursuits and activities
In 2002, Ifans caused some controversy, reported in the British media, for his alleged support of Welsh nationalist group Meibion Glyndŵr, a militant group which burnt more than 100 empty second homes in Wales in the 1980s. This was mainly because of comments he made in an interview conducted by Mariella Frostrup for the newspaper The Observer.In September 2012, Ifans became patron of the Welsh-language Wikipedia, together with Barry Morgan, Archbishop of Wales.
Personal life
Ifans has a brother, Llŷr Ifans, who is also an actor. They starred together in the Welsh-produced film Twin Town.Legal issues
During 2011 Comic Con, Ifans was arrested for misdemeanour battery by San Diego police, after allegedly pushing a guard prior to speaking on a guest panel. In August 2011, the local District Attorney's office announced that Ifans would not be charged due to lack of evidence.Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1995 | Streetlife | Kevin | |
| 1996 | August | Griffiths | |
| 1997 | Twin Town | Jeremy Lewis | |
| 1997 | Trial & Retribution | Michael Dunn | TV Series |
| 1998 | Dancing at Lughnasa | Gerry Evans | |
| 1999 | Heart | Alex Madden | |
| 1999 | You're Dead | Eddie | |
| 1999 | Notting Hill | Spike | |
| 1999 | Janice Beard 45 WPM | Sean | |
| 1999 | Hooves of Fire | Head Elf | Voice |
| 2000 | Rancid Aluminium | Pete Thompson | |
| 2000 | Love, Honour and Obey | Matthew | |
| 2000 | Kevin & Perry Go Large | Eyeball Paul | |
| 2000 | Sali Mali | Narrator | |
| 2000 | The Replacements | Nigel Gruff | |
| 2000 | Little Nicky | Adrian | |
| 2001 | Hotel | Trent Stoken | |
| 2001 | ' | Bob Cratchit | Voice |
| 2001 | The Shipping News | Beaufield Nutbeem | |
| 2001 | Human Nature | Puff | |
| 2001 | The 51st State | Iki | |
| 2002 | Once Upon a Time in the Midlands | Dek | |
| 2003 | Danny Deckchair | Danny Morgan | |
| 2004 | Vanity Fair | William Dobbin | |
| 2004 | Enduring Love | Jed | |
| 2004 | Not Only But Always | Peter Cook | TV Movie |
| 2005 | Midsummer Dream | Lysander | Voice: English version |
| 2005 | Chromophobia | Colin | |
| 2005 | The Importance of Being Idle | Lazy Man | Music video |
| 2006 | ' | McBunny | Voice |
| 2007 | Four Last Songs | Dickie | |
| 2007 | Hannibal Rising | Grutas | |
| 2007 | Robert Reston | ||
| 2008 | Come Here Today | Alex | |
| 2008 | A Number | Benard | |
| 2009 | The Informers | Roger | |
| 2009 | The Boat That Rocked | Gavin Kavanagh | |
| 2009 | Mr. Nobody | Nemo's Father | |
| 2010 | Mr. Nice | Howard Marks | |
| 2010 | Greenberg | Ivan Schrank | |
| 2010 | Passion Play | Sam Adamo | |
| 2010 | Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang | Uncle Phil | |
| 2010 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | Xenophilius Lovegood | |
| 2010 | Exit Through the Gift Shop | Narrator | |
| 2011 | Anonymous | Edward de Vere | |
| 2011 | Neverland | James Hook | TV Movie |
| 2012 | The Corrections | - | Unaired Pilot |
| 2012 | The Five-Year Engagement | Winton Childs | |
| 2012 | The Amazing Spider-Man | Dr. Curt Connors / The Lizard | Nominated — Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain |
| 2013 | Another Me | Don | |
| 2013 | Playhouse Presents - "Gifted" | Chris | |
| 2013 | Elementary | Mycroft Holmes | 7 episodes |
| 2014 | Serena | Galloway | |
| 2014 | Madame Bovary | Monsieur Lheureux | |
| 2015 | Dominion | Dylan Thomas | |
| 2015 | She's Funny That Way | Seth Gilbert | |
| 2015 | Len and Company | Len Black | |
| 2015 | Under Milk Wood | Captain Cat | Also Producer |
| 2016 | Berlin Station | Hector DeJean | TV Series; renewed by Epix for Season 2 in 2017 |
| 2016 | Alice Through the Looking Glass | Zanik Hightopp | |
| 2016 | Snowden | Corbin O'Brian | |
| 2018 | The Parting Glass | Karl | |
| 2019 | Official Secrets | Ed Vulliamy | |
| 2020 | Misbehaviour | Eric Morley | |
| 2020 | The King's Man | Grigori Rasputin | Post-production'' |
Honours, awards and nominations
In 2005, Ifans won a BAFTA for his portrayal of comedian Peter Cook in the TV film Not Only But Always.On 16 July 2007, he received an Honorary Fellowship of Bangor University, for services to the film industry.
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Result |
| 1999 | Notting Hill | BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role | |
| 1999 | Notting Hill | Satellite Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture | |
| 2005 | Enduring Love | Empire Award for Best British Actor | |
| 2012 | The Amazing Spider-Man | Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain |